The Human Research and Engineering Directorate of the Army Research Laboratory developed and currently operates a computer controlled small-arms firing facility known as the M-Range Shooter Performance Facility. This range is a permanent facility consisting of 160 targets arranged into four lanes of 40 targets each, at distances from 10 meters to 550 meters. The facility is capable of providing single and multiple target presentations of any duration and combination with real-time data collection to include time of shot, time of hit, target range, target presentation time, time between target presentations, and total shots and hits.
The need exists to collect M-Range type data at distances greater than 550 meters and to be able to deploy an apparatus for collecting M-Range type data to any approved small-arms firing range. The present invention, the Computerized Portable Pneumatic Target Apparatus, was developed to address this need. The result is a self-contained small arms computerized firing facility capable of being deployed on any approved firing range. The facility is capable of controlling in excess of twenty four pop-up E-type (or similar) silhouettes at distances up to 2000 meters and collecting M-Range type data. The system supports semi-automatic and fully-automatic weapons as well as single and multiple target presentations.
Prior art in the area of pop-up target range apparatus differs from the present invention in two distinct areas. First, pop-up target mechanisms existing today are electrically operated using either battery power or AC power provided via underground cables. Underground cables are not feasible for ranges beyond 600 meters because of the necessity for using step-up and step-down transformers and large-gauge wire to overcome the voltage-drop associated with long cable runs. Additionally, electrically operated mechanisms, especially DC powered systems, typically generate sufficient electromagnetic interference, which interfere with collection of hit data from electrical scoring silhouettes. These systems are not suitable for portable operation.
Secondly, prior art pop-up target systems use impact switches or accelerometers to detect the impact of a projectile on a rigid silhouette. Using impact to detect hits allows projectiles directly hitting the target to be scored as hits. Likewise rocks, gravel, and other debris kicked up by bullets impacting in the vicinity of the target causes hits to be scored. Because of the nature of the impact detection device on prior art mechanisms, the entire silhouette is considered to be one hit zone. This makes it difficult to segment the silhouette into numerous hit zones. (i.e. center of mass, head, grazing hits.)